Let's Pretend
by almightily
Summary: AU. Mal is short on money and makes a desperate move when a crazy job offer comes along. Ben is a famous movie star gone wild and need a miracle to save his career. What will happen to these lost souls when they come together? BenxMal
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I'm back with a new story. This ones a little different, but I like it a lot. I hope you guys like it too...

* * *

Mal was just a simple girl, with a simple job at a coffee shop and a simple life until the day Lonnie Emerson walked into her life. Lonnie was a tall woman with dark pixie cut hair and a very intimidating stance, but when she walked into the coffee shop, Mal never expected her to change her life.

"One non-fat soy vanilla latte, no cream. Pronto!" The woman said without looking up from her phone. Mal quickly typed the order into the computer.

"Will that be all?" She asked nicely with a warm smile. She expected the woman to answer still looking down at her phone, but she was surprised when she actually looked up.

"Actually" the woman took off her dark sunglasses, "no. What's your name?"

"Mal" she shrugged as the woman looked at her very intently.

"So Mal" the woman continued as Mal prepared her coffee, "are you from Los Angeles?"

"No" Mal wanted to ask why all the questions, but she was too bored, "Portland, born and raised".

"And how does a nice young girl like you end up working in a coffee shop in busy Los Angeles?" The woman raised an eyebrow waiting for Mal's response, but she doesn't have one, "I'll tell you how. You wanted to be an actress, but it didn't work out".

Mal can't help but roll her eyes as she finishes preparing the woman's drink. She came down to L.A. for a reason, and she hadn't failed yet.

"Enjoy" she smiled at the woman who just stared at her for a few seconds.

"If you ever feel like serving coffee just isn't working out" the woman placed a small card on the counter before walking out of the shop.

 _Lonnie Emerson_

 _Publicity and Media manager_

Mal stuffed the card into her pocket before taking another order and completely forgetting about the woman and the card.

* * *

 ** _MAL_**

I stumble into the small apartment I share with my best friend exhausted from a really long shift at the coffee shop.

"Hey Mal" Evie says as I throw myself on the couch, "how was work?". Evie is the kind of girl who you'd just want to be. Her family didn't have a lot of money as she grew up, but that never stopped them from giving her everything she wanted. She was always grateful enough to keep her A+ average and a half time job that helped with some bills. Evie got into many amazing colleges, but she ended up going to a decent one that offered her a full scholarship. We met when I first got to L.A. and we were both unemployed, and now she works as a media manager at a small publishing agency.

"Long" I answer throwing my head back, "I had to take over someone's shift and I feel like I was in that fucking shop for weeks".

"I know your not used to working" she smiles sweetly, "but it's really not that bad. You'll get used to it". There is a short silence where I almost fall asleep before she speaks again. "Speaking of jobs" she puts down the clothes she was folding and looks at me, "Remember I need your cut of the rent before the end of the month so we don't get behind, and last mont I had to cover some of it".

"Look E" I sit up, "I know money has been tight lately, but I really am trying get myself on my feet again. I'll find a way to get the money, I promise".

Later that night after Evie had gone to bed, I sit on my bed scrolling through job offers in my area. None of these are right for me, but I have to choose something quick. I close my computer and my jacket falls to the floor. When I go pick it up I notice a small piece of paper next to it, and then I remember. The woman from the coffee shop...

She said to call her if I ever felt like serving coffee was not enough. Maybe she has a job or something, I should call her. I look at my phone. 9:15 p.m. It's not that late. Let's just try and see if she picks up.

I dial the number on the card and wait for it to ring. After a few rings I'm almost certain she isn't going to pick up, but then she does.

"Hello?" She answers solemnly. She doesn't seem like she was sleeping.

"Yes, hi" I don't know what to say, "I'm sorry if it's a little late, but you gave me your card in the coffee shop..."

"Oh, yes. Mal was it?" The woman, Lonnie, seems a little more excited now. "I've been expecting you're call".

"I was wondering what did you mean when you said 'if I ever felt like serving coffee wasn't for me'?" I ask as I sit on the floor with my back against the door.

"I meant, I have a job proposition for you" her voice is like music to my ears, "why don't we meet as soon as possible and talk about it? I think you're really going to like it"

"Sure" I frown. This is all happening so fast.

"Can you do lunch tomorrow?!" Lonnie has all this figured out already.

"I think so" I stutter a little.

"Great then! TheGrill, 1:30, I'll make a reservation" this really seems to be coming together, "I'm looking forwards to it". She hangs up and leaves me speechless.

What was that all about? Hopefully I'll get a job out of this.

The following day I dress up neatly and head to TheGrill. It wasn't the usual restaurant I would usually eat at, but it was important so I made an exception. I take the bus to the restaurant, which makes me a few minutes late.

"I'm meeting Ms. Lonnie Emerson here" I explain to the restaurants hostess, a tall blonde girl.

"Right this way" she smiles and starts showing me the way. I look at the people who are just sitting there having lunch as we walk through the length of the restaurant. Most of them are young, handsome men in suits probably in their lunch break from corporate life, and then there are a couple of women with large sunglasses and designer purses. This is definitely not my crowd. Even if I dressed with my nicest clothes, I couldn't even compare with these women.

"Oh, Mal" I hear Lonnies voice as he enter a roofed patio towards the back of the building, "I'm so happy you called".

"I'm sorry I'm late" I apologize before sitting down.

The hostess hands me a menu and leaves us be. Not moments later, a waiter comes and takes our drink orders. I'm having regular water while Lonnie orders another diet soda.

"So you might be wondering why I wanted to meet with you today Mal" she gets straight to the point. "I need someone to pretend to be someone they're not" .

"Excuse me" I say confused. What the heck does that mean?

"I work for Benjamin Adamson" she finally starts making some sense.

"The movie star!?" I half yell surprised.

"Yes" she nods, "and as you might already know, Ben was Hollywood's sweetheart growing up, but he hasn't had the best image lately. "

"I think I must have seen something about that online" I try to recall what it said, but I'm not the gossip type.

"Yes, well, I need a big publicity stunt to help him get his image back, or his going to lose a big part in an upcoming movie"

"I still don't understand" I shake my head, "what do I have to do with all of this?"

"I need someone to pretend to be his girlfriend" it al, comes together, "and I think you are just right. Unknown to the public, nice, pretty, everything we need to make him look good again. Go to events, keep an eye on him, and we'll pay generously". I'm speechless. Is this really happening? She wants me to date Ben Adamson. There's is no way this is happening. "I do realize it's a lot to ask for, and you can take your time before making a desicion". She puts a large yellow envelope on the table and slides it over to me, "this is the contract you must sign if you take the offer. It's mostly privacy and payment matters, but you should take the time to look ove the document. Once you've signed it you can't quit until you've completed the requested time". She signs a receipt which leads me to believe she has a tab at this restaurant before getting up, "give me a call when you've made a desicion".

I sit there for a couple of more minutes just thinking over what just happened. I must be crazy if I'm actually considering taking this offer.


	2. Chapter 2

It takes a couple of days for me to call Lonnie back when I've finally made desicion. At first I wasn't going to take it, but after nearly having to ask Evie to cover my rent again, I had to take the job. The contract was very specific. No dating. No speaking to anyone about the matter. However, Lonnie was right. The payment is more than generous, and there was no way I could pass up on that.

I make my way into Lonnies office and I couldn't believe my eyes. It looks like it came straight out of a movie. Marble floors that extend throughout the length of the room. A wall completely covered in glass which features the beautiful ocean view. Right in front of the window there's a massive desk with to chairs pressed before it and a small sitting area to one side, complete with a couch and two armchairs and a coffee table. Lonnie sits behind the desk deep in some paperwork.

"Ah, Mal" she finally notices her after I clear my throat. "I take it you've decided to take my offer".

"Yea, I have" I reach into my bag for the contract.

"Do you agree with the terms?" Lonnie asks when she sees the document.

"I think they're very reasonable" I hand her the folder, "and I already signed it".

"Great!" She smiles, "Then we can get started right away". She stands up and walks towards me. "I'm thinking we cut your hair a little" she seems a little excited, "and maybe dye it blonde".

I looks down at my hair. For the longest time I've had purple hair. At first it was my entire head, but as time passed I let the blonde roots grow out and her ends remain purple. What the hell. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad to go back to full blonde again.

"Here" she gets up and starts walking, "come with me. I want you to meet someone".

We walk down the hall and past the receptionists. Then she opens the door to a room much smaller than her office. This room is dark, with dark furniture and a small bar on the other end. On one of the couches you can see a body, it might be dead or it might be just sleeping but I really can't tell the difference.

"Ben" Lonnie says sternly, but the body doesn't move, "Benjamin!". She has to yell nearly in his ear and he finally wakes up.

"What the fuck!" He stands up startled he looks around the room for a few seconds before he notices me. "Who is she?" He asks Lonnie.

"This is Mal" she nods at me, "she's going to be your new girlfriends".

"What!" He yells and my heart starts beating into my throat, "Not likely!"

"I thought we agreed this was the best way to get your image back" Lonie explains clearly frustrated, "she's a nice young girl. Raised in Portland, graduated with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, no previous relation with the media".

"How'd you know all that?" I ask concerned.

"You didn't really think I'd hire you without an extensive background check?" She asks rhetorically, and I guess she's right.

"No I'm not doing this" Ben grabs a bottle of something from the bar.

"You want that part don't you?" Lonnie takes the bottle away from him and places it back where it's supposed to go. He doesn't respond. "This will work Benjamin".

"Fine" he finally complies like an immature child. His bloodshot eyes linger on me for a few seconds. His hair is tousled, his probably still drunk, and if I'm certain if I got any closer he'd reek of booze and tobacco.

"So how will this work exactly?" I try to ignore the fact that Ben is starting at me.

"Well at first well leak some pictures of you two to a few gossip sites. We will make them look like someone took them from far away" she begins to explain, "Ben will ask for privacy and be very coy when the subject comes up in interviews. Then we'll start leaking more photos of you two holding hands, or you leaving his house in his shirt, stuff like that. By then I think we'll just let the media take a course of its own".

"Ok then" I try to seem calm, "when do we start?"

"When someone's sober enough to look handsome and collected" she throws some shade at Ben, "We'll get some shots of you getting lunch together, and maybe you two can get to know each other a little bit".

"How was your... what happened to you?" Evie asks surprised as I walk into our apartment. I have dozens of bags with new big brand clothes and of course she couldn't miss the new haircut now without purple highlights. "And where'd you get all that?"

"It was a gift" I smile taking everything into my room.

"Really!?" The taller girl with the blue highlights claps her hands together happily, "that's one expensive gift".

"Um..." I shouldn't have said anything. The contract states I may not discuss my job with anyone. "Yeah, I guess", I say vaguely trying to avoid the subject.

"So" she sits on the coffee table when I sit down on the couch, "who gave you this gift?"

"Ah" I laugh, "it's a secret!". I know she hates secret, but it's the first thing that pops into my mind if I don't want to lie. I really don't want to lie, but she raises am eyebrow and I know I'm not getting out of this that easily. "It's from this friend from work" It isn't necessarily a lie, "now go finish whatever you're cooking. It smells amazing by the way". She gets up and returns to the kitchen and a few seconds later I join her.

"I'm still not buying it" she shakes her head and we both laugh. "Help me get this ready so we can eat".

It was definitely not the last I heard about that. The next day the pictures came out and the stampede of questions started.

"So" she started as we had dinner with our friends, Jay and Carlos, "I saw something interesting today". I keep eating not really paying attention to what she says. "How do you know Ben Adamson?" I almost choke on a piece of chicken.

"What?!" I take a sip of water.

"You know Ben Adamson?" Jay grins.

"Don't deny it" Evie reaches for her phone, "there are pictures of you having lunch with him". She passes her phone around the table and when I grab it it's unbelievable. It actually looks like we're having a good time which is not true. That lunch was the most awkward moment of my life. He's such a pain, I don't even know how I'm going to put up with him for so long.

"How do you even know it's her" Carlos asks when he looks at the picture, "you can't even see the girls face"

"Oh please, I know that's her" she takes her phone back, "isn't it Mal?". They all wait for my response.

"This tastes amazing, Evie" I stuff another piece of chicken in my mouth, "you've really outdone yourself"

"It's take out" she crosses her arms, "and stop avoiding the subject".

"Fine" I set my fork down, "His publicity team is very strict and don't want anyone discussing his personal life" They all stare at me for a few seconds waiting for someone to talk. I hope that's enough to keep them from asking anymore questions for now.

After the boys leave I sit in Evie's bed as she gets ready for bed. I can't keep this to myself. I know my contract says I shouldn't discuss this with anyone, but if I don't I feel like I might explode.

"I have something to tell you" i say seriously as she walks out of the bathroom.

"You're not pregnant are you?" Her eyes grow in concern.

"What?!" I shake my head, "God no!". I take in a deep breath, "I shouldn't be talking about this since I'm not allowed to, but I really have to talk to someone".

"What is it?" She sits next to me.

"I'm not really going out with Ben" I admit, "I'm working for him".

"You got a new job!" She says excited, "what is it?!"

"I'm pretending to be his girlfriend" I mutter under my breath, but she hears me nice and clear.

"What!" The excitement washes away from her face, "Mal that's crazy!"

"I know" I sigh, "I know, I know it's absolutely insane, but I'm getting payed really well".

"You're really going to do this?" She asks but I don't really have an answer, "look, I don't necessarily agree with what you're doing, but its your desicion and I will stand by you all the way"

"Thanks E" I hug her. I feel like a small amount of weight has been taken off me.


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a couple of weeks since I started working for Ben, and I can feel the tension rising. I'm plastered on every gossip magazine, well at least the back of my head is. It's almost impossible not to look when your waiting in line at the cashier in a grocery story and you're surrounded by yourself. The stories are always the same though, "Mystery Girl" seen again with Ben Adamson.

Evie and the boys' questions have died down which is good. Without Evie's comments the boys completely forget about the matter, and since Evie knows what's really going on now she's kept the comments to a minimum.

Whenever I see Lonnies phone number ring on my phone I flinch. It hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, but I can't stand Ben. He's always drunk or high or passed out and he always stinks of cigarettes. My phone rings, and I don't even have to look at the screen to know it's Lonnie.

"Hi Lonnie" I sigh as I fold my laundry.

"I need you at Ben's house ASAP" she says firmly.

"Ok" I start heading out, "I'm on my way".

I take my time to get to Ben's house. I'm kind of getting used to being there. I mean the house is as big as the White House, so even if I'm here there's no need to be around Ben. This time, however, I must face my worst nightmare.

"Hi" I walk in confused. There's no one here. No makeup artists, no hairdressers, no stylists, and no Lonnie. "Hello?" I walk deeper into the house.

"What are you doing here?" Ben's deep voice startles me as he appears behind me. I turn around quickly and freeze. His standing there, by the kitchen door, in nothing but his boxers. His bare chest is perfectly toned and polished, and his hips create a V shaped crease that disappears into his boxers. "Enjoying the view?" He teases as I almost drool looking at him.

"What?!" I finally snap out of it. He's a douche Mal. "Lonnie told me to come here"

"Oh really?" He walks past me and opens the fridge. "Want anything?", I shake my head and he reaches for a can of soda.

"Do you know what this us about?" I ask a little desperate.

"No" he shakes his head and takes a sip.

"And you aren't the least bit curious?" His silence answers her question. "Alright then, I'm calling Lonnie".

I step out of the kitchen and back into the living room where I pace as the phone rings. I don't understand what's going on at all.

"Hello?" Lonnie finally answers when I'm about to hang up.

"What going on Lonnie?" I ask a little pissed.

"You're at Ben's house?"

"Yes" I nod and Ben joins me in the living room, "and I don't understand what's going on"

"Ok, put me on speakerphone" I do as told, "listen closely both of you. It's time to take the relationship into a more intimate level, so today you're spending the night"

"What?!" I half yell, but Ben remains calm. "I don't even have clothes or a toothbrush"

"It's fine" she begins to explain, "I want you to leave tomorrow with the same clothes you came in today, and Ben has everything you need for the night"

There's a long silence, or at least it seems long to me, where Ben and I just stare at each other. I can't believe I'm actually going to do this.

"I want you to post something online Ben" she starts again, "something that shows you have company, but in a very subtle way"

"Ok" he answers casually and I can't help but roll eyes. Not that he did anything wrong, he's just way too arrogant.

"Now I trust you can pull this off" Lonnie says intimidatingly, "I do not want to be disappointed". She hangs up and leaves me in shock. She could have at least warned me!

"I guess we're stuck here aren't we?" He says grinning. If I have to be here, might as well get along.

"Yeah" I nod.

"What do you need?" He starts going up the stairs and I follow him.

"Umm, pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste".

He goes into a gigantic walk in closet and I wait by the door. How many suits can one guy have?

"I only have these" he hands me a pair of checkered boxers and a blue v neck shirt. I'm about to throw them back at him but I guess he really doesn't have anything else. "Don't worry" he notices my reaction, "the boxers are brand new". He goes back into the closet, and this time he comes back with a toothbrush, still in the packaging, and a shirt on. "You can just use my toothpaste". I nod and he starts walking down the hall. We make it all the way across the house when he stops infront of a door, "this is your room. There are fresh sheets in the bed, you have your own bathroom, and you have a T.V."

I walk into the bedroom and like the rest of this house its spectacular. This room is like four time the room I have now. I can't believe he actually calls this the guest room. I leave the stuff he gave me in the bed and take a look around. White polished furniture with purple accents here and there and a huge flatscreen tv like he said.

I head back downstairs and find him in the kitchen again with two glasses of red wine. He places them on the kitchen counter and snaps a picture.

"What are you doing?" I laugh quietly.

"Following orders" he snaps another picture with his phone.

"No no no no" I grab the two glasses, "this is all wrong".

"Where are you going?" He calls after me as I head to the living room.

I hit the electric fireplace switch so it turns on and then place the glasses on the coffee table in front on the fire. "There"

"Not too shabby" he nods and snaps one last picture. "Will that please Lonnie?"

"Let's hope so" I cross my arms, "because if not we're dead meat".

He posts the picture on Instagram and we wait for Lonnie to call or text. We sit on the couch in silence for a few minutes until he finally speaks. "Do you want some wine?" He asks.

Should I have some wine? No I shouldn't, but he's offering. Just as I'm about to say yes, his phone rings.

"It's Lonnie" he says as he reads the text, "she loved the post".

"Really?" I sound a little surprised. I thought she was going to criticize it.

"Yeah!" He stands up and grabs the two glasses, "celebration wine?". He offers me the glass, but I can't.

"I'm actually kind of tired" I lie, "I'm going to head to bed".

"Oh" he places the glasses back on the table, "than goodnight then"

"Goodnight" I smile as I head up the stairs and into the guest bedroom.

When I finally get to sleep the dreams start. It's usually right the same, I'm alone in an alley and someone picks me up and takes me away. I always try to see what happens next but I immediately wake up. After that I can't go back to sleep. I toss and turn for hours switching between watching tv and staring at the ceiling. This room is way too big, this bed is too soft, and Ben is sleeping right down the hall. My head just won't shut up. I turn on my side and the digital alarm clock lights up. 2 in the fucking morning. Are you kidding me?

I accept my defeat and get out of bed with a low grunt. I walk down the hall and Stand by Ben's door. I want to knock, but he's probably asleep so I head to the kitchen instead.

He probably doesn't even cook for himself and he has this amazing kitchen. So unfair. I start looking around and find all the ingredients to make some chocolate chip cookies. It's kind of weird for a grown woman to bake cookies at 2 am, but it really does calm me.

I place a first batch into the oven and start preparing another sheet.

"What are you doing up?" I jump at the sound of Ben's voice behind me.

"Stop doing that" I sigh after getting over the surprise.

"Sorry" he stands next to me, "I didn't mean to scare you. Cookies?"

"yeah" I nod as I mix more batter, "I couldn't sleep, and this is kind of my guilty pleasure".

"I couldn't sleep either" she lets out a long breath, "nightmares".

"You too" I look at him surprised.

"Insomnia" he shakes his head, "what are your nightmares about"

"Its always the same" I go back to mixing, "It doesn't mean anything. Probably just a bad memory I don't exactly remember. "What about your insomnia?"

"I don't know" he leans against the counter, "it started when I broke up with my girlfriend, well my ex-girlfriend. You probably know her, Audrey Bellini."

"Oh yeah" the name seems familiar, "isn't that the girl from those movies about witches and like werewolves and stuff"

"That's the one"he nods with a smirk, "we met when we were filming Auradon High. I played the marvelous prince everyone loved, and the was my girlfriend even though she was kind of a bitch".

"I remember that movie" I laugh. I used to love that movie when I was younger. It was all about a prince who wanted to go to a normal high school. It was actually kind of bad and had impromptu musical numbers. "What happened between you two?"

"We grew up" he says vaguely, "I started going out to clubs, and she got this big movie deal. When she left she called me washed up and drunk"

"Is she wrong though" I can't help myself, "all people see from you anymore is drunken days and a new girl everyday"

"I guess she had a point" he admits to my surprise. There's a long silence as he comes closer to me. His face is merely inches from me and I can feel him breathing down my neck. "You know why I accepted this little sheared were doing?" He asks getting even closer.

"Because you were going to lose that part in that movie" I repeat what I had heard before.

"Yes" he says quietly, "but do you know why this part is so important to me?". I don't answer this time. I just turn my head around so now we're standing face to face. His breath is cool on my nose as I look up at him. He's so darn cute. "I have always been the good guy, and now this is my chance to play the bad guy".

I look up mesmerized at his pale green eyes and perfectly defined jawline. His face is now barely and inch from mine, and I can't help but want yo kiss him. He might be a douche, but he's a hot douche.

I'm about to go for it, and so is he, when the oven timer rings. Instantly I snap out of whatever that was and turn my head. "The cookies are ready" is all I can say before I walk away.


	4. Chapter 4

_I can't believe it been three weeks since I updated this story. It doesn't feel that long at all. I have been really really busy lately. Everything is just going by too fast. I'll try to get another update in within the next week or so, but no promises._

A week after the sleepover, I'm still not over what almost happened. I know Ben's a player, but I can't seem to get him off my head. I walk into the supermarket to grab a couple if things when I notice the magazines. Most of them mention Ben, and most of them have the shot of me leaving his house early in the morning. My face is still covered by a hat, though. Up until now everything has been pretty calm, but I know things are going to get intense pretty soon.

I feel my phone ring for the 5th time in an hour as I run into Lonnies office, "I'm here, I'm here".

"You're late" Lonnie raises an eyebrow as she hangs up the call.

"Only by a few minutes" I defend myself, but she's over the matter. I put my purse down and I finally take a look around. There are people running around everywhere. Make up artists, stylist, hair dressers everyone's here and with a good reason. I remember today is the day I'm doing a red carpet event with him. Today everyone will see my face. Today everything is going to change.

"Hurry up" Lonnie pushes me towards the back of the long hallway, "go get ready!"

I make my way into the dressing room where everyone's waiting for me when I run into a tall figure. Ben. I look up to apologize, but no words come out. His hair is neatly fixed, and he smells strongly of that expensive cologne that always lingers in the air after he leaves. For a few seconds we just stare at each other before I walk past him and into the dressing room. I close the door and lean against it taking a deep breath. Those eyes. Those beautiful green eyes. What's wrong with me?

"Oh dear" Marcia, my stylist, yanks me out of my thoughts, "what are you wearing?" I know she isn't looking for an answer, so I just look down and contemplate my appearance. It's not that bad. I'm just wearing jeans, flats and a simple shirt. "Don't worry honey, Marcia will fix this!"

I sit on that chair for what feels like hours as I get my make up and hair done. The right lights blind my eyes and the strong smell of hairspray makes my nose itch. Even though my makeup is very simple, it's clearly more evident than the almost insignificant amount of makeup I wear everyday. My hair is pulled up into a low braided bun and two strands hang lose on the front. Last , but not least, Marcia hands me the dress I'm wearing tonight. It's a simple flowy kind of indie dress covered in floral designs, it's something I would never wear, but it is truly beautiful.

"You look amazing" Ben points out as we get into the limo. I don't look like myself at all.

"Oh please!" I grunts as I slump down on my seat like the mess I actually am.

"You really do" he nods staring at the floor. I hesitate before I thank him.

Through the limo ride I keep trying to avoid him, but I find myself glancing at him to find him glancing at me as well. Every time I look away, I can fell his eyes right on me.

Ben seems clammy and fidgety, but as soon as we get there his appearance changes. He puffs his chest up, stretches his neck and walks with confidence. I have to admit the red carpet is extremely overwhelming. Lights flash everywhere and all eyes are on you. Tonight, all eyes are specifically on me. Both, Lonnie and Ben had warned me about this, but nothing could ever prepare me.

"Ready" he asks before wrapping his arm around my waist and starting to make our way down the carpet.

"I'm not sure". He seems so calm and collected, can't even imaging him feeling how I'm feeling right now.

We start walking and I completely zone out. Everyone yells Ben's name while blurting out questions, hoping to get an answer. From now on, you're not just any girl anymore. Ben's arm is wrapped tightly around my waist as we pose for picture in front of the cameras. We try avoiding most of the questions.

He keeps me close at all times with one arm around me. Every now and then he pulls me closer a little and leans down so our faces are barely inches away. I fidget and pull away slightly the first couple of times he does it, but as the night progresses I get used to it. I try to keep myself calm as I see all the celebrities I've always wanted to be right there next to me. All I want to do is scream and ask for their autograph, but I know I have to keep calm and fit in as much as I can.

This is all so much, the lights, the shouting, the celebrities. I'm nowhere near used to this, but at least I'm not as nervous and terrified as before. I smile a little more confidently as I feel Ben tense up by my side. I look up at him worried when I noticed he's staring at someone who's walking in our direction. A girl. Her skin is tan and she has luscious wavy brown hair.

"Ben" she nods as she struts by us. "Oh" she pouts staring at me now, "don't waste your time honey". Just in seconds she was gone.

"Who's that?" I ask confused.

"Audrey Bellini" he grinds his teeth together, "my ex" . I look at the girl again with her fake smile and big time bitch attitude. She's wearing a very tight hot pink dress that accents her curvy body perfectly.

"That's Audrey Bellini?" I gasp quietly, "she's not the pretty kind princess I remember"

"She never was" Ben shakes his head, "that was just her character. She's always been a bitch".

"How exactly did you two break up" I ask as we keep smiling and posing for cameras.

"She cheated on me" he says looking at her again, "with that guy. Charles Price". I look over my shoulder for a second and notice who Ben's referring to. Chad, the tall handsome man a few feet away. His teeth as straight and as white as they can get, his sparkly blue eyes are noticeable even from far away, and his blonde hair is tussled perfectly.

"Well I can see why" I joke, but he doesn't find it funny, "just kidding".

"They're perfect together" we walk a little farther down the carpet, "she's a bitch, and he's a bitch too".

"hey" I grin when I notice Audey looking at us, "do you want to make her jealous?". He doesn't answer, but I can see that he wants to in his eyes.

I shift my body forwards and rise on my toes. I would never be able to do this on a normal basis, but since I'm wearing tall heels I easily slam my lips in his. He's hesitant at first, surprised at me, but he slowly gets into the flow of the kiss. His lips are soft and sweet, and his movement are slow and gentle. His hand, already on my waist, pulls me closer so our bodies are pressed tightly together, and my hands go instantly around his neck. I could have stayed there for hours, but we both realize we're still on the carpet surrounded by paparazzi and separate.

For a couple of seconds there's complete and utter silence. His green eyes stare at me with a smile, and I look up at him smiling as well. As much as I wanted the silence to last, the paparazzi burst out yelling questions at us and snapping photos.

"Come on" he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the building.

I look back right before entering the building. Audrey stands there with her arms crossed staring at us frowning. She didn't like that. She didn't like that one bit.

The movie wasn't half bad. It was about a man who was stuck in a house with a family that wasn't actually his family, and it was actually pretty funny, well at least the parts that I actually paid attention to. Throughout the entire duration of the movie I found myself distracted looking at Ben, and apparently he was in the same situation. Every time I turned around to look at him, he was looking at me, and believe me when I say it couldn't get more awkward.

When the movie was over, instead of leaving everyone stayed in the theaters lobby for cocktails. It took everything within me to act casual when Ben introduced me to celebrities like it was an everyday thing. Well, I guess for him it actually is an everyday thing.

"Benjamin" a skinny guy with large glasses called him from the other side of the room.

"This'll just take a second" he smiles before stepping away to join the man in the glasses.

I stare at him for a few seconds unable to look away until I force myself to look down at my drink. This night has been unbelievable. Meeting celebrities, an actual movie premiere, kissing Ben. Kissing Ben.

"So youre Benny's new girl" I hear Audrey say and snap out of my thoughts, "don't waste your time honey, he'll just use you and throw you away like he always does". She isn't lying, but I have to believe there's more to Ben than being a fuckboy. "Mal is it?" I nod, "I wouldn't recommend making a habit out of going for dirty seconds, especially after me. I guess in this case it's more like dirty who knows what number". I want to shut her up, tell her she's wrong, but it's not my place to interfere in their private life even if I'm pretending to be his girlfriend.

"Is there a problem here?" Ben appears next to me with his arms crossed. Thank god. A few more seconds and I would have been completely humiliated.

"No" Audrey shakes her head, "not at all. Just introducing myself"

"Are you okay?" He wraps his arm around my waist.

"Fine" I nod grinning.

"Come on" he grabs my hand, "let's get out of here".

I leave my drink at a table and look at our surroundings. I expected everyone to be staring at us because of the Audrey/Ben encounter, but no one was watching. Everyone was deeply occupied with their own business to even notice, except for one person. The man in glasses stood there just looking at us, and his eyes didn't leave us until we walked out of the building


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey guys! So I kind of lost the Descendants excitement that pushed me to write this fanfic, but now that D2 is coming I think I'm getting that feeling back! Hopefully I'all continue this story, but I'm not making any promises.**_

 _ **thanks for reading! Make sure to leave a review letting me know what you think and what ou think should happen**_.

* * *

The night after the premier I couldn't sleep at all. That kiss. I didn't want to kiss him, but at the same time I did. I tried shutting off my head by telling myself that it was just the initial shock of the kiss that had only happened a few hours ago and that tomorrow everything would be fine. The thing is that the day after it was still the same. Every time I looked at Ben I could feel a faint brush against my lips like a ghost and an arm pressed tightly around my waist.

"Earth to Mal" Evie waved her hand in front of my face trying to get my attention. "What's going on in that head of yours? You keep dozing off"

"It's nothing" I shake my head and take a sip from my lemonade. Since I've been working for Lonnie, I try to have lunch with Evie somewhere nice. "Just Ben stuff"

"You mean the kiss" her eyes shine with excitement and her mouth grows into a smirk.

"No" I lie unconvincingly and the realize how fake it sounded, "Maybe"

"You like him" her smirk grows into a full smile I know she's about to burst in excitement, "I know you do"

"I do not" I say appalled, "how could I? He's a douche and a drunk".

"He can't be that bad M" she shakes her head.

"You have no idea E" I take in a deep breath. "Whenever I'm there he has to be there as well which means he can't party, so he gets pissed off and drunk". But then there was that kiss. He seemed so sweet in the way he held her in that moment. It's like two completely different people.

"I thought you said he couldn't party with or without you"

"He can't. That's why he gets so upset" I look down at my salad and shake my head softly.

"At least you get to go to all these parties and premiers" she's always trying to be positive.

"I guess." a sudden thought jumps into my mind, "speaking of which, there's this party this Friday, and you are coming with me"

From there on Evie completely forgets about Ben and I and focuses on what she's going to wear to the party. Always distract Evie with clothes.

"Hey" I walk into Ben's house, straight into the kitchen and pull a bottle of water out. Being at Ben's feels more and more normal each day. Tonight, we have a big party for a movie premier. I got Ben to put Evie on the list and luckily she is coming.

"Hey" Ben says from the other side of the kitchen. He's standing on the stove clearly burning something in a pan.

"What the hell are you doing?" I quickly make my way next to him and take the pan away from the hot stove.

"Well" he runs a hand through his hair which is still tousled from bed, "I was trying to make lunch".

"You're going to burn down the house is what you're going to do" I pull up the paper bag I have in my hand, "Here. A Cheeseburger with truffle fries".

I sit down next to him and give him some company while he eats. I knew his staff was off today, which probably meant he wasn't going to eat.

"Thanks for the burger" he throws out the trash and places his glass in the sink.

"You're welcome" I grab my purse and head up to my room. Since I have started to spend a lot of time here lately, I made sure to have clothes, and all the essential toiletries here so I don't have to keep bringing a bag over. I threw my purse on the bed and grab my phone before going back downstairs.

I walk into the TV room and find Ben playing some video game. I plop down in the other end of the long comfortable couch and watch as he shoots and runs in the game.

"You want to play?" He asks without looking away from the TV.

"Me?" I laugh, "I'm terrible at video games"

"I'll teach you" he pauses the game and scoots over to me.

"I'd like to see you try" I smirk knowing exactly where this is going.

"You can't be that bad" that's where he's wrong. After half an hour of me running around aimlessly and shooting the wrong characters, O hand the controller back to Ben. "Okay" he laughs to himself, "you have to be the worst player ever"

"Shut up" I slap his shoulder, "I told you I was awful". He turn to face me and our faces are barely inches apart. I could just pull him down and his lips would be on mine like the other night. I should not be wanting to pull him down as much as I want to. Luckily, his phone rings. He lingers over me for a couple of seconds before turning away to answer his phone. I don't know what I would have done if his phone didn't ring.

"Hey" I change the topic when he hangs up, "I've been meaning to ask you. Who was that guy you were talking to at the premier? You know, the one with the glasses".

"That's Doug" he explains, "he's been a good friend for years. He works in casting, so I was asking him about the part".

"Are you getting it?" I nudge him with my elbow.

"They're still debating" he shrugs, "but he says they are deeply considering me".

"Well that's good" I grin and he goes back to his game.

A few hours later, the whole crew arrives to get us ready for the party. My hair is braided tightly into a high ponytail, my face is all made up in dark colors, my feet are in heels I'm not even sure I can walk in, and I am wearing a sleek long sleeve black dress covered in shinny gold details. When I am done, I walk out and run into Ben in the foyer. He's in a dark grey suite and a white shirt without a tie. His hair is still tousled, but this time it's meant to look that way. He looks very handsome.

"You look beautiful as always" we start walking down to the car.

"Thank you" I smile and we're off to the party.

As soon as our feet hit the floor, Ben has his arm around me like always. We pose on the short carpet outside of the party and try to make it as intimate As possible. He presses his lips to the side of my head. I look up at him smiling. We are almost pros at this now. He tries kissing me a few times, but I avoid it trying to not seem too obvious.

Once inside, We quickly find Evie who is already mingling with some very good looking guys by the bar.

"Do you want anything?" Ben asks referring to a drink.

"Just lime and soda" I grin appreciative.

"You know" he leans down slightly so I can hear him, "you can have a drink if you want to".

"I'm fine with soda" I insist and he goes up to the bar. He hasn't had a drink in a couple of weeks, and I haven't been drinking either. He knows I'm doing it for him, but I just don't want to torture him since he can't drink.

"Are you having fun?" I turn back to Evie.

"This is amazing!" She smiles, " I can't believe this is actually happening. This is your life now".

"I know" I blush, "it's crazy".

"Here you go" Ben comes back and hands me my drink. "It's just coke" he explains when I notice the drink in his hand.

"It's okay" I reassure him, "I trust you".

"Ben!" A voice colas out from behind me.

"Doug!" Ben greets patting his shoulder, "this is Mal, and her friend Evie".

"Pleasure to meet you" Doug nods staring at Evie.

"Likewise" Evie smirks.

"May I offer you a refill" Doug sees Evie's almost empty glass.

"Yeah" she walks past me joining Doug.

"We'll talk later" Doug tells Ben before he walks away with Evie.

I lean against the wall taking a sip of my drink when Ben locks his hand on mine. "You want to dance?" He suggest and I just nod placing my drink on the nearest table.

We dance for quite some time, and before I know it his face finds its way back to mine. I can't keep doing this. I'm about to pull away, but his eyes are locked on mine, and I can feel his cool breath on my face. His hand is wrapped around my lower back pulling me tightly against him. This should not be happening. This, us, is nothing more than business. There is no way we would ever work. I finally come to my senses and pull away from him claiming that I need to go to the ladies room.

I stay in the bathroom for a few minutes trying to clear my head. I can't kiss him again. If I do, I'm not going to be able to control myself. When I finally head back to the party, Ben is talking to Doug and Evie is ordering something from the bar.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"Yeah I'm fine" I half lie remembering she has been off with Doug most of the night, "so... you and Doug?"

"He's nice" she shrugs, but I know there's more to the story.

"You ready to go?" Ben and Doug join us.

"Yeah" I'm pretty tired and it's getting late.

"You need a ride Evie" he offers but Doug steps in.

"I've got it" he assures us and we head out hand in hand as the paparazzi pummel us with questions.

I usually take of my heels in the ride back since my feet are killing me, but this time I leave them on. When we're finally at back at his house, I make my way up the stare and he follows behind. I start walking down the hall when my feet wobble and I lose my balance. Ben catches me before I can hit the ground and we are left staring at each other dead in the eyes.

"Careful there" he smirks and I gasp slightly unable to speak.

He doesn't waste any time before leaning down and slamming his lips against mine. This time they are soft, but urgent. I think about pulling away for a second, but I am immediately lost in the urge. He pulls me up to my feet and presses me against the wall. I pull his jacket down as his lips find their way down my next and across my collarbone. His hand go from their usual place on my lower back down to my butt, and I don't complain. Once his shirt is fully unbuttoned, he unzips my dress in one swift move before bringing his lips back to mine. I run my hand through his hair, and press myself harder against his toned body.

I let the dress fall to the ground and kick my heels off, leaving me in just my underwear, and he does the same with his pants. He licks me up as if I weighed nothing at all, my lips never leaving his, and takes me into his room where I lose myself to him.


End file.
